UN Pleads Aid As One Million People Go Hungry In Madagascar

The World Food Programme, WFP says Southern Madagascar is experiencing its worst drought in four decades, with more than 1.14 million people in need of food supplies.

Of those, WFP say an estimated 14,000 people are already in catastrophic conditions, and this will double to 28,000 by October.

David Beasley, WFP Executive Director said they are facing the worst drought in over 40 years and that people can’t survive and so the government partnering with WFP and others to do the best possible.

The Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) in children under five in Madagascar has almost doubled over the last four months, reaching an alarming 16.5 percent.

Amongst the worst affected is the district of Ambovombe where GAM rates of 27 percent indicate a life-threatening scenario for many children.

Arduino Mangoni, deputy country director for WFP in Madagascar said,” The new admissions to the severe malnutrition health centers has skyrocketed since June, July 2020. It has gone up from around one thousand kids overall in the 10 most affected districts in the south to around 7000 in March, April 2021. So the trend is exponential,”.

WFP says it needs US$78.6 million dollars to provide lifesaving food in the next lean season in order to stop a preventable tragedy from unfolding.